Condenser installation



H. F. SCHMIDT.

CONDENSER INSTALLATION.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 20, 1918.

- 1,367,208. I I Patented Feb. 1, 1921.

49 INV TOR.

' A rroRzvI's.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY F. SCHMIDT, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTING-HOUSE ELECTRIC &; MANUFACTURING 00., A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

CONDENSER INSTALLATION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1, 1921.

Application filed March 20, 1918. Serial No. 223,610.

means of-apparatus employing no moving parts, such as reciprocatingpistons or revolving' rotor elements.

A further object is to produce a condenser installation in which meansare employed for conserving the heat within the condensate and also theheat employed in withdrawing the condensate from the condenser.

A further object is to produce a condenser installation in which meansare employed for conserving the heat of the condensate and also fordelivering heat fromthe ejecting fluid to the condensate during theoperation of withdrawing the condensate.

A further object is to produce a condenser installation in whichcondensate may be economically removed from the condenser by means ofapparatus employing no moving partsand which operates on exhaust or lowpressure steam.

A furtherobject is to produce an organized apparatus of the ejector orkinetic type whichwill operate automatically and without attention inwithdrawing condensate from the condenser.

A further object is to produce an apparatus of the kinetic type whichwill withdraw relatively hot water from a condenser in which a highvacuum is maintained and will discharge the hot water so withdrawn intothe atmosphere.

These and other objects are attained by means of apparatus embodying thefeatures herein described and illustrated in the drawings accompanyingand forming a part hereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagram- 'matic view illustrating oneembodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 isia diagrammatic view illustrating" a modified form of apparatusforming an" 1 condensate wlthdrawn from the condenser.

embodiment of the present invention.

In the operation of starting the ordinary ejector it is necessary toprovide a free and substantially unrestricted passage for the steam jetissuing from the nozzle of the ejector when the steam is first deliveredto the ejector. In the case of an ejector this unrestricted path isprovided through the de livery pipe of the ejector which is alwaysdrained and free from water when the ejector is not in operation. A jetof steam traversing the ejector passages first expels the air from theinterior of the ejectorand thereby creates a partial vacuum. whichcauses the liquid destined to be expelled, to move up through thesuction port of the ejector and into the ejector passages. As soon asthe vacuum is sufficient to cause this liquid to rise to such a levelthat it comes in contact with the jet of steam issuing from the nozzleof the ejector, the steam is condensed and the liquid is forced intothedelivery pipe by the impact of the condensed steam. It should benoted that at the beginning of this opera tion there is no liquid in thedelivery pipe and that consequently the liquid upon first entering thedelivery pipe encounters substantially no resistance to flow. Thispermits a free acceleration of the liquid until a liquid jet of highvelocity is established, after which the liquid jet is capable ofreadily overcoming external resistance.

The operation of starting an injector is somewhat similar to theoperation above described, except that in the case of an injector thedelivery pipe is subjected to external pressure and it is consequentlyimpossible to provide a free passage through it for the impelling steam.For this reason it is customary to provide injectors with an overflowcommunicating with the atmosphere. The overflow permits a free escape ofsteam and liquid until a liquid jet having sufficiently high velocity toovercome'the pressure on the delivery pipe is established.

It will be apparent from the, above explanation that if an injector oran ejector is employed for removing the condensate from a condenser itwill be impossible to start the same, since the overflow, in the case ofan injector, will be subjected to atmospheric pressure, and the deliverypipe, in the case of an ejector, will also be subjected to atmosphericpressure, or to the pressure against which it is desired to dischargethe This will be more readily apparent when it is realized thatcondensers are usually maintained at a pressure of about a pound absolute. Where the ejector operates on exhaust steam at atmospheric orbelow atapparatus embodylng my invention.

mospheric pressure it cannot be started unless high pressure steam isemployed at the time of starting, and even where high pressure steam isemployed, the starting operation is extremely difficult, since thecondensate is warm as it comes from the condenser and heats up rapidlyupon being subjected to .the high pressure steam and under suchconditions it is difficult to establish a water jet of sufficiently highvelocity to overcome the external pressure. I have overcome thesedifficulties and have also made it possible to successfully withdrawrelatively hot condensate from a condenser by means of an injectoroperating on steam at less than atmospheric pressure, by providing anoverflow which communicates with the condenser. In the case of anejector I have overcome the difficulty by providing means fortemporarily connecting the delivery pipe of the ejector with thecondenser and thereby providing a free escape for the jet of steam orfor the jet of water until the water jet has attained sufficientvelocity to overcome atmospheric pressure or a higher pressure intowhich it is desired to discharge the condensate from the condenser.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings I have diagrammatically illustrated anelementary forn irof he condenser 5 is illustrated as a surfacecondenser, but any type of condenser may be employed. As illustrated,the condensate well 6 of the condenser communicates with the liquidinlet port 7 of an injector. The injector illustrated includes a steamnozzle 8 which receives steam from a steam chamber 9 and delivers itthrough an entraining chamber 10 to a converging combining passage 11.The port 7 communicates with the chamber 10. A divergent diffuser 12 isshown axially alined with the passage 11,

- and its inlet is spaced a short distance from the outlet of thepassage and is inclosed within a chamber 13. This chamber constitutesthe overflow of the injector and communicates with the interior of thecondenser 5 through a. passage 14. The outlet of the diffuser 12communicates with a passage or pipe 16, which as shown, is provided witha check valve 17, arranged to permit a flow from the diffuser but toprevent a flow toward the diffuser.

At the time of starting the injector, steam is delivered to the nozzle 8in which it is expanded to pressure substantially equal to that existingwithin the condenser. This expansion occasions a high velocity in thejet of steam issuing from the nozzle and as the steam issues itencounters condensate in the chamber 10, which has been delivered tothat chamber through the port 7 from the condensate well 6 of thecondenser. The steam is almost immediately condensed by its intimateassociation with the condensate and in condensing imparts its velocityen ergy to the water entrained by it. This sets up a jet of waterthrough the combining tube 11. Inasmuch as the initial jet of condensatetraversing the tube 11 has not sufficient velocity to overcome externalresistance or the resistance at the outlet of the diffuser 12, the jetis delivered to the chamber 13 through the annular space between theoutlet of the combining passage 11 and the inlet of the diffuser 12.bince the chamber 13 is in direct communication with the condenser, theexternal resistance to be overcome by, the initial jet of liquid is onlythat which is necessary to raise the water from the chamber 13 throughthe discharge piping 14 to the condenser. By employing the chamber 13the water jet traversing the combining tube 11 is provided with asubstantial free and unrestricted outlet and consequently is capable ofbeing accelerated until it has sufficient velocity to overcome externalpressure or that to which the outlet of the diffuser 12 is subjected. Assoon as the velocity of the jet issuing from the combining tube 11 issufficient to overcome this external pressure, the jet jumps the spacebetween the combining tube and the diffuser and enters the diffuserwhere its velocity energy is converted into pressure of sufficientmagnitude to overcome the external pressure to which the piping 16 issubjected. From the above it will be seen that the operation of theinjector is substantially automatic, in that the condensate will bedelivered back to the condenser until such time as the velocity energyof the jet of condensate issuing from the combining tube is sufficientto overcome the external resistance.

One advantage of the overflow shown is that a breaking of the injectoroccasioned by the fact that less water is delivered to it than it iscapable of expelling, will recirculate such water as may be handled bythe injector and subject this water to the cooling action of thecondenser. Consequently, the apparatus will automatically operate tocool such water as the injector handles during the time that water isaccumulating in sufficient quantity to again render the injectoroperative as a condensate pump.

In Fig. 2, I have shown an arrangement of apparatus in which a one-wayvalve 18 is provided between the condensate well 6 of the condenser andthe entraining chamber 10 of the injector. This valve controls thedelivery of condensate through a pipe 19 which communicates with thecondensate discharge ort of the condenser and with the inlet port l ofthe injector. As illustrated,

the valve is shown as a spring restrained lift valve which is capable ofopening in response to a preponderance of the pressure existing withinthe piping 19 over that existing within the chamber 10. In otherrespects, the injector is similar to the injector described inconnection with Fig. l and its corresponding parts are indicated by thesame numerals.

l have, however, illustrated the apparatus of Fig. 2 as being providedwith a check valve 20 in the piping 1d which is capable of opening inresponse to a flow from the overflow chamber 13 toward the condenser,but of preventing a flow in the opposite direction. lit has been foundby experience that the use of a non-return valve in the piping itimproves the operation of the apparatus.

ll provide the valve 18 to prevent a back flow of steam through the port7 and a consequent'heating up of the condensate within the well 6, incase the injector brealrs, or fails to deliver condensate against thepressure in the pipe 16, due to a rise in temperature of the condensatedelivered to the chamber 10. ltf the injector breaks, due to such anincrease of temperature, the pressure in the'chamber 10 will increase,closing the valve 18. When this happens, the steam jet issuing from thenozzle 8 is freely discharged through the overflow piping 14:, partiallyemptying the chambers 10 and 13 and the piping i l of hot water whichhas accumulated in them. its soon as this hot water had been dischargedbaclr into the condenser, the nozzle ti, in conjunction with thecombining tube ll, forms a steam actuated air and steam ejector and willcreate a vacuum in the chamber 10 slightly better than the vacuumexisting in the condenser 5, with the result that any water or moistureremaining in the chamber 10 will be subjected to the re frigeratingeflect of the evaporation due to the low pressure, thus cooling thechamber 10 and the water contained therein until the vacuumin thechamber 10 becomes suiticiently low to permit the valve 18 to rise fromits seat and admit condensate. From this it will be apparent that thefirst water acted upon by the steam jet issuing from the nozzle 8 willbe that water which has been subjected to the refrigeration within thechamber l0 and consequently the water jet will be again established andwill, after its velocity has been sufliciently increased, be capable ofjumping the space between the tube ll andthe diffuser 12 and of discharging against external pressure. The advantage of this is obvious,since it is lrnown that after an ejector is once started it willcontinue to operate with warmer water than that with which it is capableof starting automatically. This is accomplished by the refrigeratingeffect above re ferred to before the valve 18 opens.

While I have discovered that under normal operating conditions apparatussuch as illustrated will operate effectively on steam below atmosphericpressure, I wish to call attention to the fact that high pressure steammay be employed in connection with the apparatus illustrated eitherindependently of or in conjunction with the low pressure steam in casethe condensate rises to such a temperature that the available energy ofthe low pressure steam is not sufficient to accomplish the desiredresults. This steam may either be fed into the supply pipe of the nozzle8 or it may be delivered to a separate high pressure nozzle with whichthe injector may be provided. I I also desire to call attention to thefact that while T have described the apparatus as including a condenser,in which the pressure is maintained below atmospheric pressure, andkinetic apparatus for withdrawing liquid from the condenser anddischarging it into the atmosphere, the condenser may be maintainedaboveatmospheric pressure and the liquid withdrawing means may deliverthe liquid withdrawn therefrom to a receptacle maintained at a stillhigher pressure. @uch an arrangement of apparatus would be desirablewhere a condensate such as ammonia is withdrawn from the condenser. 7

While l have described and illustrated but two embodiments of myinvention, it

'will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes,modification, additions, and omissions may be made in the ap- 'paratusillustrated without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventionas outlined by the appended claims.

What ll claim is:

1. The combination with an ejector for ejecting liquid to the atmospherefrom a vessel in which a pressure below atmospheric pressure ismaintained, of an overflow for theejector, and means for normallymaintaining a pressure in the overflow below atmospheric pressure.

2. The combination with an ejector for ejecting condensate to the atmosmm from a condenser operating at a press re below atmospheric pressure,of an overflow for the ejector, and means including a connectionestablishing communication between the overflow and the condenser, fornormally maintaining a pressure in the overflow below atmosphericpressure.

3. The combination with a condenser hav ing a steam inlet port, a hotwell and a condensate discharge port communicating with-the hot well, ofa fluid operated con densate ejector having its suction below the levelof the condensate in the hot well and communicating with the dischargeport, and

provided with an overflow with the said condenser.

4. The combination with an ejector for ejecting condensate to theatmosphere from a vessel in which a pressure below atmospheric pressureis maintained, and operating on motive fluid at substantiallyatmospheric pressure, of an overflow for the ejector, and means fornormally maintaining a pressure in the overflow below atmosphericpressure.

5. The combination with a condenser having a steam inlet port, a hotwell and a condensate discharge port communicating with the hot well, ofa fluid actuated condensate ejector having a suction chamber, means fordelivering the condensate to the suction chamber under a gravity head,and an overflow communicating with the condenser.

6. The combination with an ejector for ejecting condensate from acondenser, and having its suction below the level of the condensate,within the condenser and communicating with the condenser, of a meansadapted to close communication between the suction and the condenser andsegregate the condensate in the suction from the condensate in thecondenser when the vacuum pressure in the suction increases to adetermined pressure.

7. The combination with a fluid actuated ejector for ejecting condensatefrom a condenserhaving its condensate outlet in communication with thesuction of the ejector. of a means for segregating the condensate in thesuction from that in the condenser and for closing the condensate outletuntil the vacuum pressure within the suction decreases to a determinedpressure.

8. In combination with a condenser having a steam inlet port, and acondensate discharge port communicating with the hot well, a steamactuated ejector having its suction communicating with the dischargeport of the condenser, and an overflow connection communicating withsaid ejector and with said condenser for delivering overflow fromthe'ejector back into the condensing chamber of the condenser.

9. The combination with a fluid actuated ejector fqr ejecting liquid tothe atmosphere from a vessel in which a pressure below atmosphericpressure is maintained, of means for producing a zone of pressure belowatmospheric pressure into which the combined fluid and liquid may passwhile accelerating to a velocity necessary to discharge to the atmoshere.

10'. he combination with a fluid actuated ejector for ejectingcondensate from a condenser having its condensate outlet communicatingwith the suction of the ejector, of pressure controlled means forsegregating communicating the condensate in the suction and means forrefrigerating the segregated condensate.

11. The combination with a fluid actuated ejector for ejectingcondensate from a condenser having its condensate outlet communicatingwith the suction of the ejector, of means for segregating the condensatein the suction and means for refrigerating the segregated condensate andforcing it into the condenser.

12. The combination with a condenser having a condensate outlet and aninjector having a suction chamber communicating with the said outlet, ofa non-return valve in the outlet adapted to be opened by the suction ofthe ejector, and means for preenting the opening of the valve until thepressure within the suction chamber is a predetermined degree less thanthe pressure within the outlet.

13. The combination with a condenser having a condensate outlet and aninjector having a suction chamber communicating with the said outlet, ofmeans for maintaining a determined higher degree of vacuum within thesuction chamber than that existing in the said outlet.

14. The method of ejecting liquids from a vessel which consists insegregating a portion of the liquid from that in the vessel, insubjecting the segregated liquid to a lower absolute pressure than thatexisting in the vessel, and in subsequently exposing the segregatedliquid to direct contact with the motive fluid of the ejector.

15. The method of ejecting condensate from a condenser operating undervacuum, which consists in exposing the condensate to the suction of asteam actuated ejector, in discharging the combined steam and condensateinto the condenser, in cooling the discharged condensate on its passagethrough the condenser, in permitting the cooled condensate to minglewith the condensate in the condenser and in subsequently discharging thecombined condensate through the diffuser of the ejector.

16. The combination with a condenser having a condensate dischargeoutlet and an injector having a suction chamber communicating with thesaid outlet, of a means between the said outlet and the ejector adaptedto offer a predetermined resistance to the flow of condensate from theoutlet into the said chamber, independent of the vacuum pressure withinthe said condenser.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 18th dayof March,

HENRY F. SCHMIDT. Witness:

C. W. MCGHEE.

